Weblog Alex Reuneker

For this marathon, I have doubted what shoes to use. I'm very used to low-/zero-drop shoes without much protection/cushioning, but recently, I bought my first pair of carbon-plated shoes at Runners World Rotterdam Centrum: the Hoka One One Carbon X2's.

First uses

I used them a couple of times before the marathon, and I wasn't really impressed. I did not really feel that snappy, springly carbon plate effect other talk about. I still don't, but in someway, it seems that paces faster than 4:00 p/km seem to go easier. They 'roll' more automatically – that is, until now, I have no better words for it. Another thing to keep in mind is that they do not really feel right in corners. I'm no expert, but it feels like slipping off of the edge of the plate or shoe when cornering hard. I've heard team mates talk about this too, albeit that the famous Nike Carbon shoes are supposedly much worse in this respect.

The Hoka One One Carbon X2's

I chose these, because they have the lowest drop (5mm) as far as carbon-plated shoes go, and luckily they have wider toeboxes than other Hoka's. Still narrow, but less so. I did get some chafing on the front of my ankle the week before during test runs in these shoes, so I used some tape before the marathon to try and prevent that from creeping up again. It didn't work perfectly, but it was sufficient.

One pair of Hoka's amidst all the Nike's

At the marathon

I do not regret wearing them for the marathon, not at all, but for me, these are just too much shoe. Don't get me wrong, they are very light, but they look and feel bulky somehow. This is probably just me getting used to these shoes, as they contrast a lot with the Altra's I usually wear. I wore the Hoka's during a couple of training sessions, and a tune-up race, and I think that enabled me to take an informed decision before the marathon.

Reviews

If you'd like to know more, check out the reviews at The 5K Runner, Runningshoesguru, Roadtrailrun, and Coachmag.